Quiz · 6 questions
Which cigar size fits you?
This cigar size quiz matches you to a vitola in six questions: how much time you have, where you smoke, how often, what you taste for and how it feels in the hand. You get one size and the reasons.
Six questions to a size
The six questions and where each answer points
How much time do you have?
- Half an hour, maybe forty minutes. Points toward petit corona, corona, robusto.
- Forty-five minutes to an hour. Points toward robusto, corona, petit corona.
- About an hour, give or take. Points toward toro, lancero, robusto.
- All evening. No clock.. Points toward churchill, gordo, lancero.
Where will you smoke it?
- Walking, or a short break outside. Points toward petit corona, corona, robusto.
- The back porch after dinner. Points toward robusto, toro, corona.
- A golf course or a long afternoon on the water. Points toward toro, gordo, churchill.
- A lounge chair, friends and a drink. Points toward churchill, lancero, toro.
How often do you smoke cigars?
- This is one of my first few. Points toward robusto, petit corona, corona.
- A few times a year, for occasions. Points toward toro, robusto, churchill.
- Most weeks. Points toward corona, churchill, toro.
- Often, and I like trying odd sizes. Points toward lancero, corona.
What do you want from the smoke?
- Detail. I want to taste the wrapper.. Points toward lancero, corona, petit corona.
- A balance of everything. Points toward robusto, corona, toro.
- Cool, round, mellow smoke. Points toward gordo, toro.
- A slow build that changes as it goes. Points toward churchill, toro.
How should it feel in your fingers?
- Slim, like a fountain pen. Points toward lancero, petit corona, corona.
- Classic and medium. Points toward corona, churchill.
- Thick and solid. Points toward gordo, robusto, toro.
- No preference. Points toward toro, robusto.
How do you puff?
- Quick and often. Points toward gordo, robusto, toro.
- Steady, nothing special. Points toward robusto, toro, corona.
- Slow. Sometimes I forget it's lit.. Points toward churchill, corona, lancero.
Seven sizes the quiz can land on
Every result is one of seven classic vitolas, each a length in inches and a ring gauge in 64ths of an inch. Smoke times are our own estimate at a relaxed pace, not a measurement. Yours will vary with draw, humidity and how often you puff.
| Size | Length x ring | Width (mm) | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit corona | 5⅛ x 42 | 16.7 | ~45 min |
| Corona | 5½ x 42 | 16.7 | ~48 min |
| Lancero | 7½ x 38 | 15.1 | ~61 min |
| Robusto | 4⅞ x 50 | 19.8 | ~49 min |
| Toro | 6 x 50 | 19.8 | ~60 min |
| Churchill | 7 x 47 to 50 | 19.0 | ~68 min |
| Gordo | 6 x 60 | 23.8 | ~69 min |
Time decides more than taste
Time available is the heaviest question in the quiz, and on purpose. A cigar you have to abandon halfway is a cigar wasted. A great blend in the wrong size is a bad evening.
Length is the main lever. Every extra inch adds roughly ten minutes at a relaxed pace by our model. Ring gauge adds time too, but more slowly. Want your own number for a specific cigar? Plug it into the smoke time estimator.
How does ring gauge change the smoke?
Ring gauge changes the mix of what's burning. In a slim cigar, the wrapper is a bigger share of the tobacco, so its flavor leads. In a thick one, the filler blend takes over and the smoke usually runs cooler, because there's more leaf around the burn to spread the heat.
That's a tendency, not a law. A well-made lancero can smoke cool. A gordo puffed hard runs hot anyway. Still, if you like detail, go thin. If you like round and mellow, go thick.
Hand feel is allowed to matter
Some people just like a fat cigar. Some like a slim one that sits like a pen. Both are fine. Comfort is part of the pleasure, and nobody is checking your ring gauge at the door. Compare all the common sizes side by side on the cigar size chart.
Sizing questions from newer smokers
What cigar size should a beginner start with?
A robusto or a corona suits most beginners. Both finish in under an hour by our estimate, so a blend you don't love is a small commitment.
How long does a Churchill take to smoke?
Roughly 70 minutes at a relaxed pace by our estimate, and often longer. It is about 7 inches long with a 47 to 50 ring.
Does a thicker cigar taste different?
It tends to. A thick cigar spreads heat over more tobacco and usually smokes cooler, while a thin one gives the wrapper a bigger say in the flavor.
Where the nominal sizes come from
- Cigar: anatomy, shades, sizes and storage, Wikipedia
- Cohiba (cigar brand): the Lancero, 7½ x 38, Wikipedia